An early Saturday morning fire at a converted railway boxcar in Fields Landing claimed the lives of a man and woman visiting from out of town.

Jeffrey Michael Faust, 56, of Westwood, Calif., and Sharon Kay Beem, also known as Schonrock, were killed in the blaze, Humboldt County Coroner Dave Parris said. He added he didn't have a place of residence for Beem.

"There were five occupants in the residence -- three of which were residents and two that were visiting -- and the visitors, unfortunately, were the two that perished," said Humboldt Bay Fire Battalion Chief Chris Jelinek.

When fire crews were dispatched to the blaze on the 600 block of South Bay Depot Drive around 2:30 a.m., they found flames coming from the windows of the 70-foot-long boxcar, according to fire officials.

"By the time the crews knocked down the fire and got inside, it was too late," Humboldt Bay Fire Chief Ken Woods said, adding the two victims died of smoke inhalation.

According to neighbors, Faust and Beem were planning on leaving Saturday. A father and his two daughters were able to escape.

"They're really nice people," said neighbor Daniel Breshears of the three who made it out alive. "They're always helping people."

Neighbor Kathy Murphy said she was awake as the fire trucks drove in with their lights flashing and sirens blaring.

"There was just a lot of smoke, and you could tell it was going to be nasty," Murphy said. "It was completely demolished. It was gutted."

An early investigation linked the cause of the fire to a wood burning stove, and one of the residents believed she may have left a coat on the stove, according to Jelinek. The coat or nearby kindling may have been the cause. Woods added there will be a follow-up investigation.